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Reading Poetry Closely is a free printable Grade 4 English worksheet on putting a line of poetry into plain words, aligned to Common Core standard RL.4.10. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 5 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Reading Poetry Closely

RL.4.10

NameDate

Write the letter of the match next to each one.

1.Match each line of poetry to what it means.
  • Time crawled like a snail through the math lesson.
  • Thunder grumbled, an old man in the hills.
  • My heart was a drum that would not stop.
  • The sea threw its gray arms against the wall.
  • A.Big waves crashed into the sea wall.
  • B.The lesson seemed to go very slowly.
  • C.I was very nervous or excited.
  • D.Thunder rumbled low and far away.
2.Match each line of poetry to what it means.
  • Her words were knives that cut me to the bone.
  • The river wound its silver ribbon to the sea.
  • The old house groaned and settled into night.
  • Autumn spends its gold on every tree.
  • A.The house creaked as it grew dark.
  • B.The leaves turn yellow everywhere.
  • C.What she said hurt my feelings badly.
  • D.The shining river curved its way to the sea.

LessonPrint · RL.4.10 · Set 5 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Reading Poetry Closely

Set 5. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Time crawled like a snail through the math lesson. — B (The lesson seemed to go very slowly.) 2. Thunder grumbled, an old man in the hills. — D (Thunder rumbled low and far away.) 3. My heart was a drum that would not stop. — C (I was very nervous or excited.) 4. The sea threw its gray arms against the wall. — A (Big waves crashed into the sea wall.)
  2. 2.1. Her words were knives that cut me to the bone. — C (What she said hurt my feelings badly.) 2. The river wound its silver ribbon to the sea. — D (The shining river curved its way to the sea.) 3. The old house groaned and settled into night. — A (The house creaked as it grew dark.) 4. Autumn spends its gold on every tree. — B (The leaves turn yellow everywhere.)

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RL.4.10 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.